Utilization of Waste By-Products in Controlled Low-Strength Materials
Summary
Controlled low-strength materials (CLSM) are flowable, low-strength cementitious fills designed for easy placement and later excavation. The strategic replacement of conventional cement and virgin aggregates with industrial and agricultural by-products—such as fluidised bed combustion ash, metallurgical slags, red mud, effluent treatment sludges and polymeric or paper sludge ash—reduces greenhouse gas emissions, diverts waste from landfill and lowers material costs. Optimising mix proportions, particle fineness and processing (for example ball milling) governs fresh-state properties (flowability, bleeding and setting time) and hardened performance (unconfined compressive strength, durability and removability). Mechanistic insights into pozzolanic reactions and hydration kinetics underpin tailored formulations that meet global engineering criteria for trench backfill, pipeline bedding and mine void filling, demonstrating both environmental and practical value.
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Utilization of Waste By-Products in Controlled Low-Strength Materials publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in utilization of waste by-products in controlled low-strength materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Controlled Low-Strength Material (CLSM): A self-flowing, low-strength fill material used as an alternative to compacted backfill, specified for easy later excavation.
Flowability: The capacity of a fresh cementitious mix to spread under its own weight, commonly assessed by slump flow tests.
Pozzolanic reaction: The chemical reaction between silica-rich waste materials and calcium hydroxide that forms additional cementitious compounds, enhancing strength.
Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS): The maximum axial compressive load a cylindrical specimen can sustain without lateral support, indicating hardened strength.
Bleeding: The phenomenon of water rising to the surface of a fresh mix, which can affect uniformity, segregation and setting characteristics.
References
- Harnessing hazardous wastes: the production, characterization, and performance of controlled low strength materials using common effluent treatment plant sludge. Sustainable Environment Research (2024).
- The Effect of Bottom Ash Ball-Milling Time on Properties of Controlled Low-Strength Material Using Multi-Component Coal-Based Solid Wastes. Sustainability (2022).
- Study on the Utilization of Waste Thermoset Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer in Normal Strength Concrete and Controlled Low Strength Material. Materials (2023).
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